People's Democracy

(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of
India (Marxist)

Vol. XXXVI

No. 48

December 02, 2012

AWAAZ
SEMINAR IN HYDERABAD

‘Uphold
Rule of Law to
Thwart Communal Forces’

UNAMBIGUOUS
implementation of rule of law is very crucial in thwarting
the rise of communal
forces in the country. Those occupying constitutional posts
must believe in the
Constitution and never hesitate to prosecute anyone who
tries to fuel communal
passions, felt Communalism Combat editor and
activist, Teesta Setalvad
in Hyderabad
on
November 18, 2012. She was addressing a state level seminar
on ‘Atrocities
against Muslims’ organised by Awaaz state committee.

The
seminar, which was held in the wake of recent communal
disturbances in the old
city of Hyderabad
on the issue of expansion of Bhagya Lakshmi temple abutting
historic monument
Charminar, was chaired by Awaaz . Teesta spoke about the
issue and said that
both the Hindutva forces and MIM are trying to communalise
the issue and
benefit politically. The strategy of Hindutva forces in
using these kinds of
issues is well known. In this background, it is very
important that ordinary,
well-meaning people of both communities should sit down and
engage in
discussion about resolving this controversy in a balanced
manner. They should
not let the entire public discourse and space be taken up by
the communal
forces in both communities, she said.

Talking
about the threat of communal forces, Setalvad said that they
are working 24x7
among all sections of people to achieve their aim of
communalising the society.
They are picking and creating issues that would drive a
wedge among the
communities. The Hindutva forces, as seen in Gujarat
and elsewhere, are roping in tribals and dalits as foot
soldiers for their hate
campaign. The secular forces in the country must wake up to
this danger and
take on these forces unitedly.

In
this connection she spoke about the importance of
enforcement of rule of law.
She felt that if justice was done to the victims of 1984
massacre of Sikhs in Delhi then the Mumbai
riots would not have happened or if justice was done to
victims of Mumbai riots
then Gujarat 2002 carnage would not have happened. Therefore
the ongoing
struggle for justice in Gujarat
is very
important. She said the recent Supreme Court judgement in
Naroda Patiya case
was a huge step forward in the struggle because it punctured
the culture of
impunity. For the first time politically important people
with backing of top
leaders have been convicted.

Setalvad
expressed disappointment that this important judgement did
not get as much
coverage as it deserved in the media. She said our media
would call attacks on
Sikhs in US a ‘hate crime’ but would not call Gujarat
incidents as ‘hate crimes’. She felt that the upper caste
and upper class
dominated media and our middle classes are uncomfortable in
dealing with
communalism, hate crimes and hate speeches. “They are
comfortable in raising
corruption as an issue. But they refuse to see communalism
as a cancer that is
eating at the vitals of our nation. That’s why they push
these things under
carpet without confronting them.”

Setalvad
attacked the BJP as being the most cynical party that is
always raising
divisive issues because electoral politics have been linked
to such issues.
However, if one sees last two or three elections, people,
particularly youth,
are not getting swayed by these issues because they have
seen through the
gameplan of these communal forces. She said that is the
rason why BJP and
Hindutva forces have become desperate and are trying their
best to destabilise
the secular framework. For example, after the Samajwadi
Party came to power in
in Uttar Pradesh, there have been 12 incidents of communal
violence perpetrated
by these forces. Faizabad, which was a secular bastion, also
witnessed violence
recently. These efforts can be foiled only if the secular
parties become
assertive and ensure that rule of law prevails.

Referrring
to Narendra Modi being projected as the future prime
minister of the country,
she said it is largely because of the public relations
exercise that Modi is
carrying on in order to makeover his image. Modi pays
$25,000 per month to APCO
Worldwide, an international PR firm that specialises in
image makeover of
dictators across the world. Also top industrialists like
Ambanis, Mittal, Ratan
Tata, Bajaj and others have endorsed him as suitable PM
candidate, which has
never happened in the history of India.
She felt that global capital
and Indian big business seem to desire Modi’s dictatorial
style of functioning
as a means to rush ahead with their loot of resources and
wealth. “Although
this is a very dangerous trend, I am sure people of India
will reject Modi as PM”